Synchronous machine control system



March 21, 1939. A. 'H. LAUDER ET AL 2,

SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ifiventors: Arthur H.Laucier Fred l-iwinter by Wan 7 k Their Attorney.

March 21, 1939. A. H. LAUDER ET AL 2,151,122

.SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 29, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Irwventors; Arthurfiidauoler, Fre cl H. Wirwt f,

by 1 Their/Attorney.

tifier I4 is completed, the induced field current isnot in a direction to flow through the rectifier I4. However, as soon as the induced field current starts to build up in the opposite direction it flows through this low resistance circuit.

In order to effect the closing of the field switch 8 as soon as possible after the current starts to fiow through the rectifier I 4, we connect across the discharge resistor I the winding of a relay I5, which is so designed that the normal voltage drop across the resistor 1 during the starting operation of the motor is suflicient to cause the relay I6 to maintain its contacts I! open. However, when the discharge resistor 'I is shortcircuited, the voltage drop across the resistor 1 drops to such a low value that the relay I 8 immediately closes its contacts IT and completes an energizing circuit for the closing coil 8 to operate the field switch Ii so that the field winding 4 is connected to the source of excitation 5.

In order to insure that the field switch 8 is not closed until after the motor I has started and the relay ID has had time to open its contacts l2, we providea relay I8 which has its contacts I9 connected in series with the contacts I2 of the relay III and the operating winding of the relay I3 and the closing coil 8 or the field switch 6. The circuit of the winding of relay I8 includes the auxiliary contacts 28 or the switch 3 so that the relay I8 is energized whenever the switch 3 is closed. The relay I8 is designed in any suitable manner so that it does not close its contacts I9 until after the winding of the relay has been energized for a predetermined time.

The operation of the arrangement shown in the drawings is as follows: When it is desired to start the motor I, the switch 3 is closed so that the full voltage of the supply circuit 2 is applied to the armature winding of the motor to cause the motor to start from rest and accelerate to approximately synchronous speed. As soon as the motor armature winding is energized, 9. voltage or slip frequency is induced in the motor field winding 4 and this voltage causes a current oi slip frequency to fiow through the field winding 4 and the discharge resistor I and a pulsating current to fiow through the half wave rectifier II and the winding of relay III. The voltage drop produced across the discharge resistor I by this induced field current is sufllcient to cause the relay I6 to open its contacts IT and maintain them open. Until the motor reaches substantially synchronous speed the magnitude and the periodicity of the pulsating current through the winding of relay I 8 are such that this relay' picks up and maintains its contacts I2 open.

A short time after the switch 3 closes its contacts 28, the relay I8 closes its contacts II! but in the meantime, the relay II) has operated to open its contacts I2 so that the circuit of the winding of relay I3 is not completed at this time.

When the motor I reaches a predetermined subsynchronous speed, the frequency or the induced current through the field winding 4 and the resistor 1 becomes so low that the time interval of each half-cycle during which substantially no current fiows through the winding of time relay I0 is long enough to allow the relay to return to its normally deenergized position and close its contacts I2. A circuit is then completed for the winding of relay I3 through the contacts I2 of relay I0 and the contacts I9 of relay I8. By closing its contacts 2i, relay i3 completes a locking circuit for itself which is independent of the contacts I2 of relay l0 and by closing its contacts 22 the relay I3 completes, through the halfwave rectifier I4, a low impedance shunt circuit around the discharge resistor 1. However, the relay I3 completes this low impedance shunt circuit at a time when the current flowing through the field winding 4 is not in a direction to flow through the rectifier I4, but, as soon as the induced field current reaches zero and starts to build up in the opposite direction, most of the induced current fiows through the rectifier I4 instead of the discharge resistor I, This low impedance shunt circuit increases the time constant of the field circuit so that any change in the flux linkages existing at the instant the current starts to flow through the rectifier I4 is delayed for a sufiicient length of time to allow the motor to pull into step. Also, the decrease in the voltage drop across the resistor 1 resulting from the closing of the contacts 22 causes the relay I8 to close its contacts I! and complete through the contacts 2| of relay I3 and the contacts I9 of relay I8 an energizing circuit for the closing coil 8 of the field switch 8. The energization of the closing coil 8 operates the field switch 6 so that the source of excitation 5 is connected to the field winding 4.

Fig. 2 illustrates more clearly how our improved control arrangement efi'ects the application of the field excitation to the motor field winding 4 at the most favorable point on the cycle of slip frequency current flowing through the field winding. In this Fig. 2, the curve A illustrates the current flowing through the field winding during the synchronizing operation. That portion of the curve to the left of the point d illustrates the induced current of slip frequency which flows through the field winding as the motor reaches the predetermined subsynchronous speed from which it is desired to synchronize the motor. The solid portions of this part ofcurve A represents the half-waves of induced current during which current fiows through the rectifier II and the winding of relay I0, and the dotted portions represent the half-waves of induced current during which no current flows through the winding of relay II).

In this figure, a represents the point where the relay I8 closes its contacts I2 and 2) represents the point where the relay I3 closes its contacts 22 and completes the circuit through the halfwave rectifier I4. (1 represents the point where the current starts to fiow through the rectifier I4 after the relay I3 has operated. The solid portion of the curve-A to the right of the point d represents the induced field current through the field winding 4 after the current starts to fiow through the rectifier I 4, during which time the motor pulls into step. The curve B shows how the field current builds up in the field winding when the field switch 6 is closed. t represents the time it takes the relay I6 and the field switch 8 to operate after the current starts to build up through the rectifier I4.

In Fig. 3, we have shown a synchronous gen- 1 generator speed is above a predetermined value. For accomplishing this result, we have shown a speed switch 34 which is responsive to the speed of the generator and which is arranged to effect the completion of an energizing circuit for a closing coil for the circuit breaker 33 when the speed of the generator is above a predetermined value. The generator 30 is provided with a field winding 36, the connections of which are shown as being controlled by the same field excitation control arrangement shown in Fig. 1, except that the relay "I when in its deenergized position completes through its contacts 34 a shunt circuit around the half-wave rectifier II. This shunt circuit includes a half-wave rectifier 23 which is connected in such a manner that both halfwaves of the induced field current fiow through the winding of the relay III in order to insure that the induced field current will pick up this relay l0 before the relay l3 operates.

The operation of the arrangement shown'in Fig. 3 is as follows: When it is desired to place the generator 30 in operation the generator-is started and brought up to a speed-near synchronous speed by controlling the speed of the prime mover which drives the generator. During this operation the field winding 36 is short-circuited through the discharge resistor I. When the motor reaches a predetermined speed near synchronous speed, the speed switch 34 operates to complete an energizing circuit for the closing coil 35 to effect the closing of the circuit breaker 33. The induced field current which fiows through the field winding 35 as a result of the closing of the switch 33 causes the relay i0 and I1 to pick up. After the switch 33 has been closed for a predetermined time, the relay l8 operates to open the circuit through the half-wave rectifier 23 so that as soon as the generator reaches the speed from which it is desired to synchronize the generator the relay iii drops out and completes the energizing circuit for the relay l3 to complete. the short-circuit through the half-wave rectifier Id. The relay it then operates in the same manner as in Fig. l to effect the closing of the field switch 8. a;

While we have, in accordance with the patent statutes, shown and described our invention as applied to a particular system and as embodying various devices diagrammatically indicated, changes and. modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and we, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In'combinatlon, a synchronous machine having an armature winding and a field winding, impedance means connected in series with said field winding, means for supplying alternating current to said armature winding, unidirectional current conducting means, and means for completing around said impedance means a relatively low impedance shunt circuit including said unidirectional current conducting means during that portion of the cycle of induced field current when that current is in such a direction as not to fiow through the unidirectional current conducting means. v

2. In combination, a synchronous machine having an armature winding and a field winding, impedance means connected in series with said field winding, means for supplying alternating current to said armature winding, unidirectional current conducting means, means for completing around said impedance means a relatively low impedance shunt circuit including said unidirectional current conducting means during that portion of the cycle of induced field current when that current is in such a direction as not to fiow through the unidirectional current conducting means, a source of excitation, and means for connecting said source to said field winding after said relatively low impedance circuit is completed.

3. In combination, a synchronous machine having an armature winding and a field winding, impedance means connected in series with said field winding, means for supplying alternating current to said armature winding, unidirectional current conducting means, means for completing around said impedance means a relatively low impedance shunt circuit including said unidirectional current conducting means during that portion of the cycle of induced field current whenthat current is in such a direction as not to flow through the unidirectional current conducting means, a source of excitation, and means controlled by the field current of said machine for connecting said source to said field winding after said relatively low impedance circuit-is completed.

4. In combination, a synchronous machine having an armature winding and a field winding,

impedance means connected in series with said field winding, means for supplying alternating current to said armature winding, unidirectional current conducting means, means for completing around said impedance means a relatively low impedance shunt circuit including said unidirectional current conducting means during that portion of the cycle of induced field current when that current is in such a direction as not to flow through the unidirectional current conducting means, a source of excitation, and means controlled by the voltage drop across said impedance means'for connecting said source to said field winding after said relatively low impedance circuit is completed.

5. In combination, a synchronous machine having an armature winding and a field winding, impedance means connected in series with said field winding, means for supplying alternating current. to said armature winding, unidirectional current conducting means, and means controlled by the induced field current for completing around said impedance means a relatively low impedance shunt circuit including said unidirectional current conducting means.

6. In combination, a synchronous machine having an armature winding and a field winding, impedance means connected in series with said field winding, means for supplying alternating current to said armature winding, unidirectional current conducting means, and means dependent upon a predetermined frequency and direction of flow of the induced field current for completing around said impedance means a'relativeiy low impedance shunt circuit including said unidirectional current conducting means and at a time when the induced field current is in such a direction as not to fiow through the unidirectional current conducting means.

7. In combination, a synchronous machine having an armature winding and a field winding, impedance means connected in series with said iield winding, means for supplying alternating current to said armature winding, unidirectional current conducting means, means dependent upon a predetermined frequency and direction of flow of the induced field current for completing around said impedance means a relatively low impedance shunt circuit including said unidirectional current conducting means and at a time when the induced field current is in such a direction as not to flow through the unidirectional current conducting means, a source of excitation, and means for connecting said source to said field winding after said relatively low impedance circuit is completed. 7

8. An arrangement for pulling into step an unexcited synchronous machine which is operating as an induction machine comprising unidirectional current-conducting means normally disconnected from the field winding of the syn chronous machine, and means controlled by a predetermined condition of said synchronous machine for eflecting the completion of a circuit ineluding said unidirectional current-conducting means and said fleld winding only during the half cycle oi slip in which induced field current cannot flow through said unidirectional currentconducting means.

9. An arrangement for pulling into step an unexcited synchronous machine which is operating as an induction machine comprising unidirectional current-conducting means normally disconnected from the field winding of the synchronous machine, means controlled by the speed of said machine for effecting the completion of a circuit including said unidirectional currentconducting means and said field winding only during the half cycle of slip in which induced field current cannot flow through said unidirectional current-conducting means, and means for supplying direct current to said field winding after the circuit including said field winding and unidirectional current-conducting means has been completed.

ARTHUR H. LADDER. FRED H. WINTER. 

